With recent re-organization and enlargement of distributive systems and development of food processing techniques, almost all kinds of confectionery are automatically manufactured by mass production and supplied through re-organized distributive systems.
In shortcakes and decoration cakes among the confectionery, the sponge cake is automatically mass-produced. However, the operation of decorating the sponge cake with cream or the like by setting the sponge cake on a table can be difficult to automate and therefore it is usually a manual operation.
With remarkable development of the computer technology, many techniques which have hitherto required manual operations are automated. In the field of manufacture and processing of confectionery cakes, however, it is difficult to automate operations by making use of computer techniques and develop machines, in which computer programs in use are assembled, because versatility of steps of manufacture and processes are involved. For this reason, the automation and development in this concern are greatly retarded.
More specifically, when introducing programming with computer techniques into the field concerning the computer techniques and manufacturing machines and apparatus, in which such computer programs are incorporated, it has heretofore been necessary to alter or improve the procedure of manufacture or processing to one suited for programming in advance. Without such alteration or improvement, it is very difficult to program a conventional procedure of manufacture or processing of cakes. If programming could be obtained, an apparatus of manufacture or processing which is constructed on the basis of such programming is extremely complicated in construction, and in many cases it is not suitable to implement programming. As an example, considering a procedure of preparing a bun or manju, which consists of a stuff made of wheat or rice flour and a bean-jam filling wrapped in the stuff, to incorporate computer techniques into the preparation technique the procedure should be improved such that it comprises a vessel formation step to form a vessel-like stuff of cake, a filling injection step to inject the bean-jam filling into the vessel-like stuff and a closing step to close the filling with the stuff. In a decoration cake or a shortcake, a depositer or like station for dropping cream or the like is moved over a sponge cake base to draw a pattern with the cream or the like on the cake base. A plurality of different patterns are drawn successively in super imposition on one another to complete the decoration. In order to program such a decorating procedure by making use of computer program techniques, however, it is necessary to disassemble the completed overall pattern and classify individual disassembled elements into groups each consisting of like elements in correspondence to the movement of depositer, for instance. Further, it is necessary to prepare depositers corresponding in number to the number of the groups of elements, and allow cream or the like to drop on an upper plate with the depositers held stationary while moving the upper plate at a horizontal level for the elements in the individual groups. More specifically, where a sponge cake base for a decoration cake is decorated with cream or the like by moving the upper plate at a horizontal level while holding depositers stationary, the upper plate is moved under each stationary depositer according to a predetermined program (i.e., a program which is determined according to each of the classified movements of elements). It is thus possible to supply a great quantity of cream or the like. More specifically, where depositers are moved as in the prior art, if a great quantity of cream is to be supplied, the depositers become very heavy, making their smooth movement very difficult. Further, if the upper plate is supported on a belt conveyor, after completion of decoration it can be moved and discharged by driving the conveyor belt according to an instruction from a computer unit.
The inventor earlier proposed an apparatus for automatically producing cakes or the like as disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure 166,344/1986. The disclosed apparatus is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As is shown, the apparatus has a pair of endless conveyor belts 1 and one or more depositers or like stations 2 disposed above conveyor belts 1 for dropping cream or the like to process cakes or the like for decoration. Endless conveyor belts 1 are provided with a plurality of holders 3 disposed at a pitch for holding respective upper plates 4. Under each station 2, each plate 4 is moved together with endless conveyor belts 1 in the lengthwise direction thereof (as shown by arrows Y--Y in FIG. 1) and also in the widthwise direction (as shown by arrows X--X in FIG. 2) perpendicular to the lengthwise direction to perform a decoration step corresponding to each element of a given pattern or a pressure application or other press step. Then, it is moved to a position under the next station to perform the next decoration or pressure application step, and then it is moved to a further station and so forth. The mechanism for moving the upper plates in the lengthwise direction Y--Y and widthwise direction X--X has the following construction.
Portable body 5 with casters 6 has a plurality of bases 7 extending from its front. Individual bases 7 have guide rails 8 laid on their top. Movable base 10 is supported via its casters on rails 8 such that it can be moved in X--X direction, i.e., the widthwise direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. Movable base has shafts each rotatably mounted in it at each end thereof. Pair drive pulleys 121 are mounted on one shaft 11 at opposite ends thereof, and a pair of guide pulleys 122 are mounted on other shaft 11 at opposite ends thereof. A pair of endless conveyor belts 1 are passed around respective drive and guide pulleys 121 and 122. Conveyor belts 1 are driven by drive pulleys 121 to run intermittently in Y--Y direction and at a unit pitch. Upper plates 4 supported on conveyor belts 1 are fed forwards under each station 2 after completion of each unit step. Each upper plate 4 carrying eventual cakes or the like set on it is stopped under each station 2. Here, it is moved in Y--Y and X--X directions with intermittent movement of conveyor belts 1 in Y--Y directions at a unit pitch and movement of movable base 10 in the X--X directions, these movements being caused according to a predetermined program. The eventual cakes or the like on each upper plate 4 are thus subjected to processing of a unit step at the pertinent station 2. Connecting rod 13 (see FIG. 2) is coupled at one end to movable base 10 and has a rack formed on its outer periphery. A pinion (not shown) provided in body 5 is in mesh with the rack, and it is rotated by a drive motor (not shown) via a drive pulley (not shown) and a belt (not shown) to move the movable base 10 in the X--X directions via connecting rod 13.
In this apparatus, however, the mechanism for moving the upper plates in the X--X directions comprises a plurality of stationary bases 7, guide rails 8 laid thereon and movable the base 10 capable of being moved along the guide rails. Therefore, the mechanism is complicated in construction. In addition, it is large in size and heavy in weight, thus greatly spoiling the portability of the apparatus. Further, movable base 10 carries drive and guide pulleys 121 and 122 and endless conveyor belts 1 passed round these drive and guide pulleys, and it is moved in the X--X directions, i.e., toward and away from the front of body 5, a space if produced, in which an operator's hand or the like is liable to be trapped, thus posing safety problems. Further, drive and guide pulleys 121 and 122 and movable base 10 are found right under plates upper 4, and they are exposed when upper plates 4 are removed. This poses a hazard of dragging in the operator, thus again posing safety problems. Further, cream or the like is liable to fall from the stations such as depositers onto movable base 10. For cleaning the inside of the apparatus contaminated by the cream or the like, it is necessary to disassemble the apparatus, take out movable base 10, shafts 11, drive pulleys 121 and connecting rod 13 for cleaning and reassemble the apparatus. Therefore, the cleaning is very time-consuming.
Further, where eventual cakes or the like set on each upper plate 4 supported on the pair of conveyor belts 1 are processed under each station 2 by moving upper plate 4 in Y--Y and X--X directions, upper plate 4 is liable to slip on conveyor belts 1 during its movement in the Y--Y and X--X directions although it is held by associated holders 3. In such a case, upper plate 4, particularly eventual cakes or the like placed on upper plate 4, may fail to follow a predetermined program even when conveyor belts 1 and movable base 10 are accurately moved in the Y--Y and X--X directions, respectively, according to the program. This means that cream or the like falling from each station 2 may fail to be deposited on a predetermined part of each eventual cake or the like on upper plate 4, that is a given pattern or shape as specified by a predetermined program may fail to be formed on the eventual cake. It is considered to provide conveyor belts 1 with a frictional character so as to prevent the slip of upper plates 4 and conveyor belts 1 relative to one another. To do so, however, leads to an increase in the mass of the conveyor belts themselves. Besides, light-weight materials such as synthetic resins and rubber cannot be used because they have considerable slidability. If metal conveyor belts which the provision of a frictional character are used, the apparatus is increased in size, which is undesired.